ח׳
ט״ווַיְדַבֵּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־נֹ֥חַ לֵאמֹֽר׃
15God spoke to Noah, saying,
ט״זצֵ֖א מִן־הַתֵּבָ֑ה אַתָּ֕ה וְאִשְׁתְּךָ֛ וּבָנֶ֥יךָ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנֶ֖יךָ אִתָּֽךְ׃
16“Come out of the ark, together with your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives.
אתה ואשתך וגו'. אִישׁ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ, כָּאן הִתִּיר לָהֶם תַּשְׁמִישׁ הַמִּטָּה:
’אתה ואשתך וגו THOU AND THY WIFE etc. — Husband and wife are mentioned together— now He allowed them to resume family life (Genesis Rabbah 34:8).
י״זכׇּל־הַחַיָּ֨ה אֲשֶֽׁר־אִתְּךָ֜ מִכׇּל־בָּשָׂ֗ר בָּע֧וֹף וּבַבְּהֵמָ֛ה וּבְכׇל־הָרֶ֛מֶשׂ הָרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ (הוצא) [הַיְצֵ֣א] אִתָּ֑ךְ וְשָֽׁרְצ֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָר֥וּ וְרָב֖וּ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
17Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you: birds, animals, and everything that creeps on earth; and let them swarm on the earth and be fertile and increase on earth.”
הוצא. הוֹצֵא כְּתִיב, הַיְצֵא קְרִי, הַיְצֵא – אֱמֹר לָהֶם שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ; הוֹצֵא – אִם אֵינָם רוֹצִים לָצֵאת הוֹצִיאֵם אַתָּה:
הוצא BRING FORTH — The Ketib is הוצא and the Keri היצא — ;היצא means, “tell them to go forth”, הוצא means, ‘‘if they do not wish (if they refuse) to go forth, you make them go out”.
ושרצו בארץ. וְלֹא בַּתֵּבָה, מַגִּיד שֶׁאַף הַבְּהֵמָה וְהָעוֹף נֶאֱסְרוּ בְתַשְׁמִישׁ:
ושרצו בארץ THAT THEY MAY BRING FORTH ABUNDANTLY IN THE EARTH but not in the Ark: this teaches that cattle and fowls also were separated, male and female, in the Ark (Genesis Rabbah 34:8).
י״חוַיֵּ֖צֵא־נֹ֑חַ וּבָנָ֛יו וְאִשְׁתּ֥וֹ וּנְשֵֽׁי־בָנָ֖יו אִתּֽוֹ׃
18So Noah came out, together with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives.
י״טכׇּל־הַֽחַיָּ֗ה כׇּל־הָרֶ֙מֶשׂ֙ וְכׇל־הָע֔וֹף כֹּ֖ל רוֹמֵ֣שׂ עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ לְמִשְׁפְּחֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם יָצְא֖וּ מִן־הַתֵּבָֽה׃
19Every animal, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that stirs on earth came out of the ark by families.
למשפחותיהם. קִבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עַל מְנָת לִדָּבֵק בְּמִינָן:
למשפחתיהם AFTER THEIR FAMILIES — They took upon themselves to keep to their specie.
כ׳וַיִּ֥בֶן נֹ֛חַ מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֞ח מִכֹּ֣ל ׀ הַבְּהֵמָ֣ה הַטְּהֹרָ֗ה וּמִכֹּל֙ הָע֣וֹף הַטָּה֔וֹר וַיַּ֥עַל עֹלֹ֖ת בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
20Then Noah built an altar to GOD and, taking of every pure animal and of every pure bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
מכל הבהמה הטהורה. אָמַר לֹא צִוָּה לִי הַקָּבָּ"ה לְהַכְנִיס מֵאֵלּוּ ז' ז' אֶלָּא כְּדֵי לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּן מֵהֶם:
מכל הבהמה הטהרה OF ALL CLEAN CATTLE — He said: “The Holy One, blessed be He, ordered me to take in seven pairs of these only in order that I might offer a sacrifice of them” (Genesis Rabbah 34:9).
כ״אוַיָּ֣רַח יְהֹוָה֮ אֶת־רֵ֣יחַ הַנִּיחֹ֒חַ֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־לִבּ֗וֹ לֹֽא־אֹ֠סִ֠ף לְקַלֵּ֨ל ע֤וֹד אֶת־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ בַּעֲב֣וּר הָֽאָדָ֔ם כִּ֠י יֵ֣צֶר לֵ֧ב הָאָדָ֛ם רַ֖ע מִנְּעֻרָ֑יו וְלֹֽא־אֹסִ֥ף ע֛וֹד לְהַכּ֥וֹת אֶת־כׇּל־חַ֖י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִֽׂיתִי׃
21GOD smelled the pleasing odor, and GOD resolved: “Never again will I doom the earth because of humankind, since the devisings of the human mind are evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living being, as I have done.
מנעריו. מנעריו כְּתִיב, מִשֶּׁנִּנְעַר לָצֵאת מִמְּעֵי אִמּוֹ נִתַּן בּוֹ יֵצֶר הָרָע:
. מנעריו FROM HIS YOUTH — This word is written without a Vav after the ע so that it may be read as מנעריו which would imply that from the moment the embryo bestirs itself to have an independent existence the evil inclination is given to it (Genesis Rabbah 34:10).
לא אסף ולא אסף. כָּפַל הַדָּבָר לִשְׁבוּעָה; הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי מֵעֲבֹר מֵי נֹחַ, וְלֹא מָצִינוּ בָהּ שְׁבוּעָה, אֶלָּא זוֹ שֶׁכָּפַל דְּבָרָיו וְהִיא שְׁבוּעָה וְכֵן דָּרְשׁוּ חֲכָמִים בְּמס' שְׁבוּעוֹת:
לא אסף… ולא אסף I WILL NEVER AGAIN … NEITHER WILL I EVER AGAIN — He repeated the expression that it might serve as a solemn oath, and it is to this that the text (Isaiah 54:9) refers: “For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah [will never again pass over the earth]”. We, however, do not find any explicit oath regarding this, but this passage in which He repeated these words, which may be regarded as an oath. Thus do our Sages explain in Treatise Shevuot 36a.
כ״בעֹ֖ד כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ זֶ֡רַע וְ֠קָצִ֠יר וְקֹ֨ר וָחֹ֜ם וְקַ֧יִץ וָחֹ֛רֶף וְי֥וֹם וָלַ֖יְלָה לֹ֥א יִשְׁבֹּֽתוּ׃
22So long as the earth endures,Seedtime and harvest,Cold and heat,Summer and winter,Day and nightShall not cease.”
עוד כל ימי הארץ וגו' לא ישבתו. ו' עִתִּים הַלָּלוּ שְׁנֵי חֳדָשִׁים לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ חֲצִי תִשְׁרֵי וּמַרְחֶשְׁוָן וַחֲצִי כִסְלֵו זֶרַע, חֲצִי כִסְלֵו וְטֵבֵת וַחֲצִי שְׁבָט קֹר (חֹרֶף) (ב"מ ק"ו):
עוד כל ימי הארץ וגו' לא ישבתו WHILE THE EARTH REMAINETH … SHALL NOT CEASE — Of these six seasons each consists of two months, as we have learned (Bava Metzia 106b): Half of Tishri, Marcheshvan and half of Kislev is seedtime; half of Kislev, Tebeth and half of Shebat is the cold-season.
קור. קָשֶׁה מֵחֹרֶף:
קור COLD-SEASON is more severe than חורף winter.
חרף. עֵת זֶרַע שְׂעוֹרִים וְקִטְנִית הַחֲרִיפִין לְהִתְבַּשֵּׁל מַהֵר, וְהוּא חֲצִי שְׁבָט וַאֲדָר וַחֲצִי נִיסָן:
חורף WINTER is the time of sowing barley and pulse which are quick (חריף) to ripen. It is half of Shebat, Adar and half of Nisan.
קציר. חֲצִי נִיסָן וְאִיָּר וַחֲצִי סִיוָן:
קציר HARVEST — Half of Nisan, Eyar, and half of Sivan.
קיץ. חֲצִי סִיוָן תַּמּוּז וַחֲצִי אָב, הוּא זְמַן לְקִיטַת תְּאֵנִים וּזְמַן שֶׁמְּיַבְּשִׁים אוֹתָן בַּשָּׂדוֹת, וּשְׁמוֹ קַיִץ, כְּמוֹ הַלֶּחֶם וְהַקַּיִץ לֶאֱכוֹל הַנְּעָרִים (ש"ב ט"ז):
קיץ SUMMER — Half of Sivan, Tammuz and half of Ab. This is the time of fig-gathering, the time when they lay them out to dry in the fields. and its name is קיץ “summer-fruittime”, as (2 Samuel 16:2) “And the bread and the summer-fruit (קיץ) for the young men to eat”.
חום. הוּא סוֹף יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, חֲצִי אָב וֶאֱלוּל וַחֲצִי תִשְׁרֵי, שֶׁהָעוֹלָם חַם בְּיוֹתֵר; כְּמוֹ שֶׁשָּׁנִינוּ בְּמַסֶּכֶת יוֹמָא שִׁלְהֵי קַיְיטָא קָשֵׁי מִקַּיְיטָא:
חום HEAT — This is the end of the hot season, half of Ab, Elul and half of Tishri, when the world is excessively hot, as we have learned in Treatise Yoma 29a: “The end of the summer is worse than the summer itself”.
ויום ולילה לא ישבתו. מִכְּלָל שֶׁשָּׁבְתוּ כָּל יְמוֹת הַמַּבּוּל, שֶׁלֹּא שִׁמְּשׁוּ הַמַּזָּלוֹת, וְלֹא נִכַּר בֵּין יוֹם וּבֵין לַיְלָה (ב"ר פכ"ה ופ' ל"ד):
ויום ולילה לא ישבתו DAY AND NIGHT SHALL NOT CEASE — From this we may infer that they (day and night) ceased during the period of the Flood, for the planetary system did not function, so that there was no distinction between day and night (Genesis Rabbah 34:11).
לא ישבתו. לֹא יִפְסְקוּ כָּל אֵלֶה מִלְּהִתְנַהֵג כְּסִדְרָן:
לא ישבתו SHALL NOT CEASE — None of these shall cease to take their natural course.
ט׳
א׳וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֱלֹהִ֔ים אֶת־נֹ֖חַ וְאֶת־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֧אמֶר לָהֶ֛ם פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֖וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
1God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fertile and increase, and fill the earth.
ב׳וּמוֹרַאֲכֶ֤ם וְחִתְּכֶם֙ יִֽהְיֶ֔ה עַ֚ל כׇּל־חַיַּ֣ת הָאָ֔רֶץ וְעַ֖ל כׇּל־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּרְמֹ֧שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה וּֽבְכׇל־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֖ם בְּיֶדְכֶ֥ם נִתָּֽנוּ׃
2The fear and the dread of you shall be upon all the animals of the earth and upon all the birds of the sky—everything with which the earth is astir—and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hand.
וחתכם. וְאֵימַתְכֶם, כְּמוֹ תִּרְאוּ חֲתַת (איוב ו') וְאַגָּדָה לְשׁוֹן חַיּוּת שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁתִּינוֹק בֶּן יוֹמוֹ חַי אֵין אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לְשָׁמְרוֹ מִן הָעַכְבָּרִים; עוֹג מֶלֶךְ הַבָּשָׁן מֵת, צָרִיךְ לְשָׁמְרוֹ מִן הָעַכְבָּרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם וְחִתְּכֶם יִהְיֶה, אֵימָתַי יִהְיֶה מוֹרַאֲכֶם עַל הַחַיּוֹת? כָּל זְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם חַיִּים (שבת קנ"א):
וחתכם means AND THE DREAD OF YOU, similar to (Job 6:21) “ye see a terror (חתת)." The Agada takes the word as signifying “life”, “vitality” (חיות): So long as a baby, even one day old, has life you do not have to guard it against the attacks of mice, whilst Og, king of Bashan, when dead needs to be guarded against the attacks of mice, as it is said, “And the fear of you and the terror of you shall be [upon the beasts of the field etc.].” When will the fear of you be upon the beasts? So long as you are alive (חתכם) (Shabbat 151b).
ג׳כׇּל־רֶ֙מֶשׂ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הוּא־חַ֔י לָכֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה לְאׇכְלָ֑ה כְּיֶ֣רֶק עֵ֔שֶׂב נָתַ֥תִּי לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־כֹּֽל׃
3Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat; as with the green grasses, I give you all these.
לכם יהיה לאכלה. שֶׁלֹּא הִרְשֵׁיתִי לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן בָּשָׂר אֶלָּא יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב; וְלָכֶם – כְּיֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב שֶׁהִפְקַרְתִּי לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כֹּל (סנה' נ"ט):
לכם יהיה לאכלה SHALL BE FOOD FOR YOU — For I did not permit Adam Harishon to eat meat, but green herbs alone; but lo you — even as the green herbs that I gave the full use of to Adam Harishon — do I give everything (Sanhedrin 59b).
ד׳אַךְ־בָּשָׂ֕ר בְּנַפְשׁ֥וֹ דָמ֖וֹ לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽלוּ׃
4You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it.
בשר בנפשו. אָסַר לָהֶם אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי, כְּלוֹמַר כָּל זְמַן שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ, לֹא תֹאכְלוּ הַבָּשָׂר:
בשר בנפשו FLESH WITH THE SOUL THEREOF [SHALL YE NOT EAT] — He here prohibited to them אבר מן החי the eating of a limb cut from a living animal, that is to say that בשר בנפשו (literally, flesh together with its life) means so long as its life is in it you shall not eat the flesh.
בנפשו דמו. בְעוֹד נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ
בנפשו דמו (literally, its blood together with its life) means whilst its (the animal’s) life is still in it (the blood).
בשר בנפשו לא תאכלו. הֲרֵי אֵבֶר מִן הַחַי, וְאַף בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ, הֲרֵי דָם מִן הַחַי:
Consequently בשר בנפשו לא תאכלו FLESH SO LONG AS THERE IS LIFE IN IT SHALL YE NOT EAT forms the prohibition of אבר מן החי the eating of a limb cut from a living animal. And connecting בנפשו with דמו we obtain the reading also בנפשו דמו לא תאכלו ITS BLOOD TOGETHER WITH ITS LIFE SHALL YE NOT EAT which forms the prohibition of partaking of blood of a living animal (Sanhedrin 59a)
ה׳וְאַ֨ךְ אֶת־דִּמְכֶ֤ם לְנַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶם֙ אֶדְרֹ֔שׁ מִיַּ֥ד כׇּל־חַיָּ֖ה אֶדְרְשֶׁ֑נּוּ וּמִיַּ֣ד הָֽאָדָ֗ם מִיַּד֙ אִ֣ישׁ אָחִ֔יו אֶדְרֹ֖שׁ אֶת־נֶ֥פֶשׁ הָֽאָדָֽם׃
5But for your own life-blood I will require a reckoning: I will require it of every animal; of humankind, too, will I require a reckoning for human life, of everyone for each other!
ואך את דמכם. אַעַ"פִּ שֶׁהִתַּרְתִּי לָכֶם נְטִילַת נְשָׁמָה בַּבְּהֵמָה, אֶת דִּמְכֶם אֶדְרֹשׁ מֵהַשּׁוֹפֵךְ דַּם עַצְמוֹ:
ואך את דמכם HOWEVER YOUR BLOOD — Although I have permitted you to take the life of cattle yet your blood I will surely require from him amongst you who sheds his own blood (see Bava Kamma 91b).
לנפשתיכם. אַף הַחוֹנֵק עַצְמוֹ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא יָצָא מִמֶּנּוּ דָם:
לנפשותיכם YOUR LIFE — Even though one strangles himself (Genesis Rabbah 34:13) so that no blood flows from him yet I will require it from him.
מיד כל חיה. לְפִי שֶׁחָטְאוּ דוֹר הַמַּבּוּל וְהֻפְקְרוּ לְמַאֲכַל חַיּוֹת רָעוֹת לִשְׁלֹט בָּהֶן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר נִמְשַׁל כַּבְּהֵמוֹת נִדְמוּ (תהלים מ"ט), לְפִיכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ לְהַזְהִיר עֲלֵיהֶן אֶת הַחַיּוֹת:
מיד כל חיה AT THE HAND OF EVERY BEAST — Because the generation of the Flood sinned and they were therefore freely exposed to become food for wild beasts which would have power over them — as it is said (Psalms 49:21), “He is ruled over by wild beasts like the beasts that perish” (these being the prey of other animals) (Shabbat 151b) — it was therefore necessary to proclaim a punishment against wild animals on their account.
ומיד האדם. מִיַּד הַהוֹרֵג בְּמֵזִיד וְאֵין עֵדִים, אֲנִי אֶדְרֹשׁ:
ומיד האדם AT THE HAND OF MAN — At the hand of one who kills with premeditation, when there are no witnesses to the murder, will “I” require it.
מיד איש אחיו. שֶׁהוּא אוֹהֵב לוֹ כְאָח וְהָרַג שׁוֹגֵג, אֲנִי אֶדְרֹשׁ אִם לֹא יִגְלֶה וִיבַקֵּשׁ עַל עֲוֹנוֹ לִמָּחֵל, שֶׁאַף הַשּׁוֹגֵג צָרִיךְ כַּפָּרָה, וְאִם אֵין עֵדִים לְחַיְּבוֹ גָלוּת וְהוּא אֵינוֹ נִכְנָע, הַקָּבָּ"ה דוֹרֵש מִמֶּנוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ "וְהָאֱלֹהִים אִנָּה לְיָדוֹ" – בְּמַסֶּכֶת מַכּוֹת – הַקָּבָּ"ה מְזַמְּנָן לְפֻנְדָּק אֶחָד וְכוּ':
מיד איש אחיו AT THE HAND OF EVERY MAN’S BROTHER — At the hand of a man who loves him like a brother and slays him accidentally will “I” require it, unless he go into banishment (in one of the Cities of Refuge) and pray for forgiveness for his iniquity. For even one who kills another by accident needs atonement: therefore if there are no witnesses to the deed to make him liable to banishment and he does not humble himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, will require it of him, just as our Rabbis explain the text, (Exodus 21:13) ‘‘But God causes it to come to hand”, in Treatise Makkot (Makkot 10b): The Holy One, blessed be He, causes them (the man who killed by accident and had not expiated the murder and the man who killed with premeditation) to meet at the same inn. The former in ascending a ladder falls upon the latter and kills him and has therefore — the accident having been seen by men — to go to banishment.
ו׳שֹׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָ֖ם דָּמ֣וֹ יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱלֹהִ֔ים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הָאָדָֽם׃
6Whoever sheds human blood,By human [hands] shall their blood be shed;For in the image of GodWas humankind made.
באדם דמו ישפך. אִם יֵשׁ עֵדִים הֲמִיתוּהוּ אַתֶּם, לָמָּה? כִּי בְצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים וגו':
באדם דמו ישפך BY MAN SHALL HIS BLOOD BE SHED — If there are witnesses you kill him. Why? Because in the image of God [made He man] and he has destroyed the Divine image (Genesis Rabbah 34:14)
עשה את האדם. זֶה מִקְרָא חָסֵר, וְצָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת עָשָׂה הָעוֹשֶׂה אֶת הָאָדָם וְכֵן הַרְבֵּה בַּמִּקְרָא:
עשה את האדם HE MADE MAN — This verse is abbreviated and should be “the Maker made man”; there are many similar expressions in the Scriptures.
ז׳וְאַתֶּ֖ם פְּר֣וּ וּרְב֑וּ שִׁרְצ֥וּ בָאָ֖רֶץ וּרְבוּ־בָֽהּ׃ {ס}
7Be fertile, then, and increase; abound on the earth and increase on it.”
ואתם פרו ורבו. לְפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה לִבְרָכָה וְכָאן לְצִוּוּי. וּלְפִי מִדְרָשׁוֹ לְהַקִּישׁ מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה לְשׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים (יבמות ס"ג):
ואתם פרו ורבו AND YE, BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY — According to the real sense, the first time this was said to man (Genesis 9:1) it was said as a blessing (an assurance that they would be fruitful); here it is a command (Ketubot 5a). According to the Midrashic explanation this command is mentioned here after the mention of murder in order to liken one who abstains from having children to one who sheds blood (Yevamot 63b).